River Hawks prepare for 2nd seasonThe Russellville Community Christian School (RCC) River Hawks volleyball team will play its first game of the season on Aug. 25 against Christian Ministries Academy at the school. River Hawks head coach Brooks Russell said the team has spent the last two weeks and an offseason before school let out last year preparing for the school’s second year in history to have a volleyball program. “We have a lot of girls that are excited about volleyball...

Dardanelle to host Red-White gameDARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Sand Lizards will host their annual Red and White scrimmage at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Keenan Field. It will be the first time Keenan Field has hosted football action since renovations began after the conclusion of the 2014 season. Sand Lizards head coach Josh Price said the field was “basically” ready, but because the sidelines are still growing in, the player benches will be at either end zone. Price said the players...

Lady Cyclones volleyball prepares for openerThe Russellville Lady Cyclones volleyball team went undefeated in the 7A/6A-Central Conference and won its fifth state championship in school history last season. Russellville head coach Cindy Jones believes her team can make another run this year. “I think we can,” she said. “We’ve got four girls that started on that state championship team. They’ve been there before. They know what it takes. We can do it if we work hard.” The Lady Cyclones f...

RV Heat lights lives and scoreboardsGaylen Scott is sure God is working through his basketball program, RV Heat. He counts his blessings not just in wins but in lives changed. “God is the center of our program,” he said. “And I know my mom is up in heaven still helping us out.” RV Heat, which stands for Respect, Vision, Heart, Effort, Attitude and Teamwork, is a Christian-based nonprofit organization that teaches kids about basketball and the Bible. Scott said the team holds Bib...

RHS to open tennis season against PottsvilleRussellville Cyclones and Lady Cyclones head tennis coach Bill Rowlett watched his team warm up on the tennis courts at Russellville High School (RHS) with enthusiasm. “I’m encouraged by this bunch,” he said. “I have some quality players. I think we’re strong at the top, and we are pretty deep.” In addition to returning players, Rowlett said a few multi-sport athletes came out this year, and their presence made the team stronger from top to bo...

Sand Lizards’ Salters wins in match play at Galla CreekPOTTSVILLE — The Pottsville Apaches and Lady Apaches golf teams hosted Morrilton, Dardanelle and Atkins on Monday at Galla Creek Country Club. Pottsville combined for a second place finish with a team score of 132, while Dardanelle placed third with 137 in men’s scores. Pottsville was led by Blane Boyd with 41, Logan Porter with 45 and Jordan Stromberg with 46. Drew Bunting led Dardanelle with a round of 43. Lady Sand Lizards golfer Taylor Sal...

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Courier sports staffThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Almost there...THE COURIER / Travis Simpson Construction is nearly complete on the new gymnasium at Russellville High School. Russellville athletic director Johnny Johnson said staff members hope to move into the facility within three weeks. The new gymnasium, which cost the school district $12.5 million, is complete with locker rooms, video board, concession stand, ticket booth, film study room, hospitality rooms and enough storage to contain several sports...

Almost there...THE COURIER / Travis Simpson Construction is nearly complete on the new gymnasium at Russellville High School. Russellville athletic director Johnny Johnson said staff members hope to move into the facility within three weeks. The new gymnasium, which cost the school district $12.5 million, is complete with locker rooms, video board, concession stand, ticket booth, film study room, hospitality rooms and enough storage to contain several sports...

RHS to host Cyclone ExtravaganzaThe Russellville Cyclones Football Booster Club will add a little “oomph” to its annual Red and Black football scrimmage this year. Cyclones fans will have the opportunity to either watch or recognize every fall sport from seventh grade through high school, as well as the cheerleading and dance teams as part of the Cyclone Extravaganza on Saturday, Aug. 22. “We started working on this last year,” Russellville athletic director Johnny Johnson s...

RHS golf teams open season at ConwayCONWAY — The Russellville Cyclones and Lady Cyclones golf team opened their season on Wednesday at the Conway Country Club in a course head coach Roy McSpadden called “very revealing.” “I like that course, and the reason I always schedule it, is because it’s very tight,” McSpadden said. “It’s very tight, and it always reveals the things we still need to work on.” McSpadden said the golf teams were a work in progress. He expects them to be comp...

Pottsville installs four tennis courtsPOTTSVILLE — The Apaches and Lady Apaches tennis teams are already practicing on four new tennis courts south of the Pottsville Indoor Practice Facility. Superintendent Larry Dugger said construction on the courts completed last week, save the installation of the windscreens the Pottville School District (PSD) is waiting on. “Already the courts have been a great asset, not only to the students but to the community,” Dugger said. “The players h...

Football Frenzy to hit Johnson CountyThe second annual Johnson County Football Frenzy will begin at 6 p.m. on Aug 11 in the Rogers Conference Center in the University of the Ozarks. The event, presented by the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Johnson County, is free and open to the public. Clarksville head coach Eli Cranor, Lamar head coach Josh Jones and Johnson County Westside head coach Jeff Stewart will each present information about their team to the crowd. Cranor said the ...

Arkansas board votes to end Rebel mascot, 'Dixie' song LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A school board in northwestern Arkansas voted Monday to drop a high school's "Johnny Reb" mascot and "Dixie" fight song after the shooting deaths of nine people inside their historic black church in South Carolina reignited a debate nationwide about the use of symbols of the Confederacy. Fort Smith school board members have said a recurring discussion about changing the mascot and the Old South anthem used as the fight...

Patriots’ season ends in Fort SmithFORT SMITH — The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots needed momentum to advance in the State Tournament on Saturday at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS), but what they got was a debacle. Patriots head coach Zach Hettinga was ejected after a controversial call at first base. Because Post 20 did not have an assistant coach present, Russellville was forced to forfeit the game. Like that, any momentum was gone. The Patriots sh...

Mom’s Football 101 a successTerri McKown came away from the Mom’s Football 101 camp hosted by the Russellville Cyclones football team on Saturday at Cyclone Stadium with a little more appreciation for what her son, Cole McKown, endures each day during football practice. “It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be,” she said. “Especially in the summer heat. We didn’t even have on the football gear that they have on, and it was very, very hot. I cannot imagine w...

RHS to host Mom’s Football 101Billy Dawson wants to fill Cyclone Stadium with football moms during Saturday’s Mom’s Football 101 Program at the high school field house. The program, which the RHS head coach said he has done for many years, is aimed to teach mothers a little bit about what their football playing sons go through on a daily basis. “It’s an opportunity to experience for a couple hours what their kids are doing every day,” Dawson explained. “We will go outside ...

Cyclones to host team campRussellville football fans will get their first taste of first-year head coach Billy Dawson’s Cyclones when the team holds a team camp at 9 a.m. Thursday at Cyclone Stadium. Russellville will take on Dardanelle, Pottsville, Clarksville, Hot Springs lakeside and Fort Smith Southside in scrimmages throughout the morning. Dawson said the team camps are a great way to work on depth and gauge how well recently installed schemes are operating for th...

Post 20 qualifies for state tourneyCABOT — The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots made their exit from the Zone Tournament on Sunday with a 10-2 loss to Conway, but not before securing their spot in the State Tournament with a 19-7 win over Searcy earlier that day. Russellville (13-8) will play against an unannounced opponent on Friday at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith in round one of the State Tournament. "There are only eight teams in this tournament," Post ...

Slam gone, Spieth gears up for the next major ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Jordan Spieth headed home from a grueling week at the British Open with history on his mind and another major in his future. Next up is the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. And if the Grand Slam is no longer in play, there's still plenty out there. "I don't know how many guys have done three majors in a year," Spieth said. "I'm sure there's only been a few." Very few, actually. Ben Hogan did it in 1953, winni...